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Director of Diversity and Engagement | Indiana Republican Party
Whitley Yates is the first person to hold the position of director of diversity and engagement at the Indiana Republican Party, a distinction she embraces. “I do what I do because I am distinctly aware that I have the power to cultivate places of belonging and inclusion where uncomfortability once resided,” she said. “I do it because making connections for the community could create a change larger than me, and I could be a catalyst to inspire those who will come after me.” In her position, she travels the state to hold trainings, community meetings and town halls with Republican leaders. She reaches out to historically underrepresented communities to bolster relationships. And she launched the Indiana Republican Diversity Leadership Series, which helps mentor and develop minority leaders statewide. She also owns a public relations, marketing and advertising agency specializing in multicultural marketing and storytelling.
Getting here: Although she was involved in student body elections at Indiana University, she didn’t initially consider politics as a career, she said. She worked for a company that built student housing, an experience that led her to Los Angeles, where she further refined her marketing skills. She helped a pastor run for office and later moved back to Indianapolis and worked on Jim Merritt’s mayoral campaign in 2019.
First job: Sears sales associate at Lafayette Square Mall
Influential moment: She received the Emerging Leader award at the Republican National Committee’s 2022 Trailblazer ceremony.
Mentor: Indiana Republican Party Chairman Kyle Hupfer, who has supported her personally and professionally and encouraged her to apply to law school. “Finding someone who pushes for you to consistently remain authentic while also making sure that I am choosing opportunities in alignment with my purpose is rare,” she said.
Givebacks: She sits on the boards of Evolve International and the Indy Black Chamber of Commerce. She is diversity chair of the Indianapolis chapter of the American Marketing Association.
Advice: “No matter what adversity you may face in life, your condition does not have to be your conclusion.”•
Check out more Forty Under 40 honorees.
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